his wife about eight years. His death took place at Connecticut Corner, either at a house near Wight's Pond or at a dwelling (since destroyed by fire) fronting the upper Common; I cannot tell which. Authorities do not agree on this point. But in either case it was at the residence of his wife's daughter. He left no children. What I have written thus far of these families is a sketch simply, and not a thorough study of the subject. I have not the time or opportunity to acquire further material. It is mainly from memory that the story has been told; and however far it may fall short of being a complete narrative, I am not without hope that it is just and correct in its general estimate of individual character and peculiarities. With your kind permission, Mr. Editor, I will finish the article in the next number of the Register.

ANTIQUARY.

THE OLD CHESTNUT TREES, DEDHAM.

Castanea Vesca. Linn.

BY GEORGE W. HUMPHREY.

The old chestnuts so familiar to residents of Dedham, and of which we present a pen and ink sketch by Henry Hitchings, are upon the farm owned by Ebenezer Paul, on Spruce street, in the eastern part of the town. At the present time there are but two trees standing, out of a group of five or six, which thirty years ago were apparently in the full vigor of life, and these two are now dead. The largest one measures twenty-two feet and six inches in circumference, at a distant of about four feet from the ground. At five feet a large branch strikes out, and above this the circumference is increased to twenty-four feet, while its companion is fifteen feet in circumference at the same distances from the ground.

The height of the trees is about eighty feet, and they are nearly as broad as they are tall. The age of the larger one, judging by the average yearly growth of the chestnut, may be about two hundred and fifteen years. These trees are first mentioned in a tradition of the Fales family, as nut-bearing, and as a play-place or resort in the boyhood of Samuel Fales, who was born in 1746-7. This shows that even in that day they were large enough to attract attention. They seem to-day fitting representatives of the grand old forests which existed at the birth of the town, before the woodman's axe first disturbed their solitude.

In 1862, the wood upon the land where these trees stood, was sold at auction, and three or four of the "big chestnuts" were cut down, and the wood carried to the soldiers' camp at Readville, and there used as firewood. But one of the old monarchs refused to be

split even by the many wedges driven into it. It was left where it fell and afterwards, by much labor, it was sawed up into lengths of four or five feet. These pieces, as large rustic flower stands, grace the lawn of the Hemmenway estate in Milton, Mass. At a subsequent sale of the two remaining trees the auctioneer, Col. Eliphalet Stone of Dedham, bid them in himself for the sum of fifteen dollars, paid the money out of his own pocket, and would not have them molested; thus they were given a longer lease of life. Within the last ten years they began to die; and by a fire built by some boys in the rotten trunk, the larger tree became so weakened that its gigantic arms fell to the ground.

According to a tradition in the Fales family, it is said that the land upon which these trees stand was first owned by James Fales [originally Vales], who came to America from Chester, England. The date of his birth is unknown. He married in Dedham, May 28, 1655, Ann Brock, sister of Rev. John Brock of the Isles of Shoals, and daughter of the Rev. Henry Brock Mr. Fales built a house on what is now Sprague Street, opposite Greenlodge Street.

The land passed through the following generations of the Fales family, and others: .

1. JAMES FALES, b. July 4, 1656; m. Deborah Fisher, Oct. 20, 1679; d. March 5, 1741.

2. Capt. DAVID FALES, b. 1702; m. Mary Darwin, March 5, 1745-6; d. Jan. 23, 1793.

3. Deacon SAMUEL FALES, b. Jan. 26, 1746-7: m. Rebecca Baker, April 4, 1771.

4. NANCY FALES, only child, m. Deacon Joseph Swan, Jr., Dec. 25, 1794; he d. Nov. 13, 1818; m. 2d, Joseph Daniels, Oct. 25, 1821; d. Jan. 1, 1839. Adeline Swan, her daughter, b. Oct. 5, 1802; m. Leonard Alden (Pub. Dec. 2, 1820): d. Dec. 12, 1834. On the settlement of the estate of Mrs. Daniels in 1843, there were three heirs, grandchildren, Samuel Fales Alden, Rebecca Swan Alden, Martha Clark Alden, who received one undivided third each. The so-called "Deacon Fales Farm" was received by

5. SAMUEL FALES ALDEN, b. Nov. 2, 1821.

The property conveyed to Ebenezer Paul, its present owner, was bounded on the north by lands of Nehemiah Fales's heirs and heirs of Deacon Joseph Swan; east on the old Dorchester line and land of said Swan's heirs; south by land of said Swan and Fales's heirs and road to Milton; west by the road to Dorchester, and land of said Fales's heirs and Edward Whiting. It contained eighty-three acres.

The range of the chestnut is extensive, being from York county in Maine, to Florida and the West. It flourishes on rocky hills and land where there is no great depth of soil, which is difficult to till, and fit only for pasture or forest. The soil of Dedham seems specially adapted to its growth, judging by numbers as, next to the oak and elm, it is the most numerous tree in our forest flora.

The circumstances of our country, unfortunately, are not favorable to the existence of large trees. The insatiable greed of owners

of woodlands of the past, whose only idea of value was measured by dollars and cents alone, together with the numerous forest fires which prevail, have put out of existence many noble trees and forests. they existed to-day they would increase the value of many New England farms, which lie basking in the sun, stripped of everything except

the rocks.

If

It is very doubtful if the chestnut in this country ever reaches the age of 250 years, while in Europe there are numerous instances of remarkable trees, notably the famous Castagno di cento cavalli," on Mt. Etna, so called from the fact of its sheltering a hundred mounted cavaliers. This tree, in 1770, measured 204 feet in circumference, and had the appearance of five distinct trees. The Tortworth chestnut in England, measured by Strutt in 1820, was 52 feet in girth, while near Sauserre, in France, was one measuring ten feet in diameter, at a distance of six feet from the ground. The American tree is of the same species as the European, the only difference being in the size of the fruit, which in our tree is only one quarter as large, and much sweeter. Its name, Castanea, was derived from a town of that name in Pontus, Asia Minor, where it was first found by the Greeks and Romans, and by them introduced throughout Europe.

NEEDHAM EPITAPHS,

WITH NOTES.

BY CHARLES CURTIS GREENWOOD.

Joshua Balch Son to Capt Joshua & Mrs Rebekah Balch Died Decr 18th 1744 In ye 5th Year of His Age.

Jemima Everden Daur To Mr John & Mrs Jemima Everden Died APL 1745, in ye 6th Year of her age. [b. in Leicester, Oct. 9, 1739.]

Here Lyes ye Body of Mrs Lydia Smith Wife to Mr Archib Smith. She died June ye 17th A. D. 1745. Aged 23 Years.

Archibald Smith married Lydia Burridge of Newton, Jan. 17, 1745.

Here Lyes the Body of Mr Ralph Smith Died May ye 9th 1746 In ye 24th Year of His Age.

He was b. Sept. 22, 1722, son of Jonathan and Martha Smith. Here Lyes ye Body of Mrs Mary Thornton Formery ye Wife of Mr John Brown of Dorchester. She Died Nov 26th 1747 Aged about 87 Years. Here Lyes ye Body of Mrs Submit Cook ye Wife of Capt Robert Cook. She Died June 18th 1748 in Ye 77th Year of Her Age.

She was b. in Dorchester, Feb. 3, 1671, dau. of William Weeks; m. Capt. Robert Cook, who was prominent among the pioneer settlers of the Town, Oct. 26, 1693. He was b. in Boston, Dec. 9, 1670, son of Robert and Sarah Cook; d. April 1, 1756.